If Jim Harbaugh was a pot full of water and he was sitting atop a burning hot stove, steam will never come whistling out.
Sitting coolly in front of the press with bright lights shining upon him, the new head coach of the San Francisco 49ers looked as if he were still playing quarterback in the NFL. The former 13-year quarterback looked out at the media sitting in front of him as they fired question after question in his direction like linebackers coming at him in an all out blitz. His expressions and tone remained calm and unfazed as he would stiff arm the inquisitions away with vague answers while shedding no light on what will happen going forward with his new team.
It looks as if the 49ers finally found the right man for the job.
Since Steve Mariucci’s last year as the team’s head coach, others have come into the inner circle of the franchise and lavished on how they were the right choice for the position. They were entrusted with the keys to drive the organization in the winning direction, only to see them return it back with the team in a fiery blaze filled with losing seasons.
Each had imbalanced resumes as coaches during their tenure in San Francisco. Dennis Erickson was regarded as an offensive guru, but looked like a deer in the headlights when it came to making proper decisions. Mike Nolan joined after, but defensive-minded coach could not inspire his players and maintain the locker room. Singletary was the anointed as the right choice with his ability to lead and motivate, but became lamented as a coach who was simply out smarted almost every time he put the headset on.
Harbaugh is none of them and all of them at the same time; a coach that has all the strengths of those past coaches, but none of their weaknesses.
Coming from a background where football is synonymous within the family (his father was a former head coach and his brother John is currently the Baltimore Ravens head coach), the former Stanford coach understands what it takes to lead a football team. He has a brilliant offensive mind that allows for inventiveness and deception that can translate well at the pro level.
His understanding of the game also comes from his history as a player. Being a former pro quarterback, he understands how to get players in the right position and map out a blueprint that they all can easily adapt to. He also has the intangibles to relate to everyone and get across what he wants to accomplish.
Now that one of the hottest coach candidates is officially the head coach of the 49ers, Harbaugh will go to work quickly on how he will reform the look and personnel of the team. The franchise got exposed numerous times last season on both sides of the field and a quick turnaround may not be in the cards for a team that was the 2010 preseason favorite in the NFC West. While the improvement may not be instantaneous, the former Michigan quarterback will have choices upcoming that can rotate the direction of the team back on a winning path.
- Who Will Be Calling The Plays For Harbaugh’s Team In 2011?
It’s difficult to figure out who Harbaugh will go with behind center for his new 49er dynasty, but he’s got to like the options he has available.
The assumption going into the off-season is that he’ll look at his current stable of quarterbacks and evaluate how they fit. Troy Smith and David Carr may be a part of the 2011 team as backup options, but most likely one (or maybe both) of them will be gone. Smith played decently when called upon in the 2011 season, but didn’t perform to the ability needed to be the franchise quarterback. Carr did little to nothing during the season, but wasn’t given much of an opportunity to shine either.
Of course, there’s the curious case of Alex Smith. After five seasons of playing under numerous offensive coordinators and the evolving into the target of the fan’s frustration for the team’s inability to win, it’s hard to imagine Harbaugh entrusting his brand new team to the former University of Utah Quarterback. If he wants to get on the good side of the fans and instill hope in the organization, the new coach may want to abandon Smith and let him move on with his career elsewhere.
With pretty much none of the options being a perfect fit for Harbaugh, can he find the perfect quarterback for his system?
Lucky for him, he’ll have numerous options to choose from. Whenever the new Collective Barganing Agreement is approved, a bevy of big name quarterbacks will be available to either sign or trade for. Michael Vick is available, but it’s hard to see him leaving Philadelphia. It appears that the Redskins will probably let go or trade Donovan McNabb, who could then come run Harbaugh’s West Coast offense. Vince Young, Carson Palmer, and Kevin Kolb will all probably be available for the right price and depending upon how bad the 49ers want them.
He could also choose a young quarterback to develop either behind a new veteran quarterback or just throw the cub into the lion’s den right after they draft him. The 49ers will surely have their choice from the top rated passers entering the 2011 NFL Draft and Harbaugh can scout which player fits more perfectly in his system. Maybe it’s the big bodied and armed quarterback Ryan Mallet out of Arkansas. Heisman trophy winner Cam Newton could bring his exciting play to San Francisco. There’s also would-have-been 2010 number one pick Jake Locker whose value dropped after he held out for another year at Washington.
Any option at quarterback is available for the new head coach, who necessarily doesn’t need to find the face of the franchise this season. The reason: if the 49ers somehow decline next season and get the number one pick, Harbaugh could be reunited with Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.
- The Secondary Another Primary On Harbaugh’s Radar
While the biggest question to deal with regarding personnel is at the quarterback position, Harbaugh will need to apply just as much focus on another area.
With the secondary in shambles, he’ll have to figure out what changes will be necessary to fix one of the largest problems the team dealt with during the 2010 season. A shutdown corner is a desperate need the team has coming into this off-season, but there are possibilities to fill that position.
If he happens to drop down to them in the draft, the best option would be to snag LSU’s Patrick Peterson. The stud cornerback is a unique talent that could eliminate one side of the field, an ability the 49ers are desperate to have. If not Peterson, Harbaugh may settle for Nebraska’s Prince Amukamara. He might not be as surefire as the LSU prospect is, but the 2010 All-American cornerback is an elite corner with the same upside as Peterson.
Perhaps if not through the draft, the free agent pool will be the way that Harbaugh decides to turn. Nnamdi Asomugha will probably command the money he got at Oakland, but he will fetch a big price tag for the job he can do at the corner position. Champ Bailey is a little older than Asomugha and has been hampered with injuries as of late, but he has the same knack of stopping the best wide receiver on the other team just like Asomugha can. Brent Grimes from Atlanta and Ike Taylor from Pittsburg will also garner his attention as he upgrades this atrocious 49ers secondary.
All of 49ers nation will be on edge to see how Harbaugh navigates his first months as the new San Francisco 49ers head coach. The hope is that he can recreate the magic his former mentor Bill Walsh once performed when he took over a 2-14 team in 1978 and guided them to three Super Bowl titles. Since those prominent years, the fan base has been steaming for someone to return the organization to greatness.
Luckily for the 49er supporters, Jim Harbaugh can handle the heat.
Jim Harbaugh Ready To Deal With The Pressures As The San Francisco 49ers Head Coach
